Shielded electrical connector assemblies have been used for numerous automotive applications, such as navigation systems, infotainment systems, air bag systems, and other data transmission systems. Coaxial cables typically consist of an outer shield conductor, an inner center conductor, a dielectric, and an insulation jacket. The outer conductor and the inner conductor of the coaxial cable often electrically interface with a mating coaxial cable through a coaxial connector assembly.
Shielded electrical connector assemblies, hereinafter referred to as shielded connectors, are often used to connect coaxial cables while providing a certain degree of electromagnetic shielding. The use of shielded connectors has greatly increased in automotive applications as devices requiring coaxial cable high for speed data communication continue to proliferate.
The use of shielded connectors for automotive usage has become so common that standards for signal loss and contact resistance have been devised. Some shielded connectors that meet these specifications use high cost cold drawn tubular shield terminals.
Shielded connectors need to have sufficient electrical contact between the mating shield terminals to provide adequate shielding, i.e. improper contacts between the shield terminals can allow significant RF leakage. Thus, shielded connectors use features, such as lances, i.e. cantilevered contacts cut from the shield terminals or copper rings to provide electrical contact between the shield terminals. However, the openings in the shield terminals caused by forming the lances increase RF leakage and the copper rings increase connector insertion force to levels that make assembling the shielded connectors difficult.
Therefore, a low cost shielded connector which meets all performance specifications remains desired.
The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also be inventions.